Free indie games you shouldn't miss

[Justin]

EDIT: I'm just going to make this a sticky and start adding everyone else's suggestions to the list. Keep in mind, only free games & mostly complete. There's another great roguelike post, so no roguelikes here.

Hey guys.

I do a lot of research on indie games and there are a number of free games that are such amazing gems, you have no excuse not to play them. I know this crowd probably has heard of them all, but this is for the few that haven't.



Actiony Games

Spelunky! Justin Star of Approval Award!
This platformer roguelike-like was a huge inspiration for me. It has definitely influences FTL's direction. I cannot recommend it more. Play this NOW!
http://www.spelunkyworld.com/original.html


Super Crate Box!
This game made it onto iPhone, but the original is great too. Super simplistic, crazy hectic, twitchy arcady, platforming shoot-fest. (the big green download button was slightly obscured on my screen, dunno about you)
http://www.supercratebox.com/


Hydorah!
This game is clearly a tribute to classics like Gradius. If you're a fan of old-school side-scrolling shmups, play this asap. Great music, incredibly hard, beautiful pixel-art: it's excellent.
http://www.locomalito.com/hydorah.php




RPG/Simulationy Games!

Desktop Dungeons!
This roguelike-like was so loved by all, they took development seriously and are making an official version for sale. Check out the original for free, it's just as good. It's an elegant interpretation of the roguelike genre, turning it into an almost puzzle-like single-screen experience.
http://www.desktopdungeons.net/?page_id=11


Dwarf Fortress! Most Beautiful Ascii Structure Award!
This game perfectly represents the idea that the simpler the graphics, the more gameplay you can cram in. Build the most amazing fortresses ever with dynamic characters, farming, crafting, trade, traps, war, irrigation, and almost anything else you can think of. (Huge learning curve, though)
http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/
(Get in the mood with http://dfstories.com/ or beautify the game at http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Tilesets)

(thanks jocan2003 more helpful links below)



Multiplayer Games!

Realm of the Mad God!
This free-to-play browser mmo combines dualstick shooters, bullet hell games and classing loot-based mmorpg's in a compact and addictive package. Also with permadeath! Yay!
http://www.realmofthemadgod.com/

(thanks Take)

King Arthur's Gold!
I can never get in a server but this game looks sweet! Teambased, castle building, hole digging, class-based combat-fest!
http://kag2d.com/

(thanks Take)




Otherish Games!

Knytt!
This super-simplistic exploration game just oozes atmosphere. It's pretty laid back but some of you will enjoy it. I really did.
http://nifflas.ni2.se/?page=Knytt



These are my highest suggestions. If you guys actually haven't heard of these and want more, let me know. I've got tons. I love indie-games so much...

[Stelly]

nice post Justin, nope not heard of any of them, want more please , any RTS or turn base strat would be good

Stelly

[Justin]

Wtf. You haven't heard of Spelunky? Go. Play 100 hours of it. HURRY!

[Stelly]

Wtf. You haven't heard of Spelunky? Go. Play 100 hours of it. HURRY!

I may be some time.. *runs off in the general direction of Spelunky*

Stelly

[Stelly]

*7 and a half hours later...* What an great game!!!!

Stelly

[take]

spelunky is indeed fantastic, as are some of the others listed. hydorah seems awesome, and definitely gives me flashacks of gradius/life force. good picks!!
i'll add a few as well:

king arthur's gold - a very cool team-based, castle-building, side-scrolling gib-fest from the people that brought you soldat.

project zomboid - the open-world, isometric zombie survival game of everyone's dreams. it's still in alpha, but is already fantastic and has a large following. think sims meets the apocalypse. [not free exactly, but the available demo is essentially the game as it stands currently]

path of exile - fantastic arpg that will give D3 a run for it's money gameplay/graphics-wise. if you were a fan of the darker, more evil atmosphere of D2 and can get a hold of a beta key it comes highly recommended.

realm of the mad god - bullet-hell meets arpg. addicting. you've been warned.

[jocan2003]

One free game that I enjoy playing is http://www.rsclegacy.com. It is free and you can play on all phones!

[jocan2003]

Now the other game ive been enjoying lately is Cataclysm, basicly a survival, roguelike, zombie, eat drink, and be stoned to advance game. So its not for kiddies!!

What is that game? Basicly you are a survivor after a zombie apocalypse, you have to do just that survive, easier said than done believe me. You have to loot houses, shop, get equipement, food, drink, and anything that could increase your moral to get an XP pool, because if you want to increase skill it will only increase as you use it AND have XP in your XP pool. Wich mean drinking alchol, taking drug, smoking a cigarette, be carefull tho as there is addiction in the game and going into withdrawal can give serious negative effect for a good time, make sure you can stay hidden for a few day and have everything near your for basic suviving if you ever get in withdrawal, listen to MP3 player, read playboy magazine you get the point ( MP3 uses battery and you cannot make battery yourself so you have to think if you should use it or keep the battery for your flashing once you find one, or tools that may use batteries ).

So seem simple right? WRONG!! Zombie can hear, smell and see you. Not because you havent seen one doesnt mean there is not one far behind you who picked your scent trail and start moving behind. As you make noise the nearest zombie will be attracted to it, Its not to your they are, its to the sound you made, but then since you are next to the sound they will eventually pick your scent or see you, then you better be able to run and fast. Sure you can stay and fight, but as your fight you make noise, and well you get the point now. Each town has a pool of zombie hidden to player, eventually if each day you keep going to the same town and kill a few, flee come back kill a few etc you will *liberate* the town, do mind it does nothing exept keep the town empty for next salvage run.

Everything or near everything can be broken down, from walls to windows, do mind breaking down a wall might require more than brute force, a grenade or bomb maybe? Man those make lot of noises, maybe good to make an escape route if your surrounded in a building tho because well sound is not an issue when you have 10+ zombie moving toward you!

There is building and crafting in the game too, sickness, mutation, implants, and much more. The link im about to give you is another modpack, sadly there is no graphical pack for that BUT if you see a Z on the map, im pretty sure it doesnt mean Zoo. The modpack include more crafting option, and vehicles!! Yeah hop on that big gasoline eating truck and go smash some zombie, stop in front of a house, hurry out, break the door gather stuff, get back to car, drop all in trunk and get out!! Into the zombie tho!!

http://whalesdev.com/forums/index.php?topic=727.0

Pick either that or DF and believe me, your GF or BF will start yelling at you because you suddenly lost your life!!

Have fun and make sure to come back in a while to tell if your still alive or yet if you manage to keep your GF/BF!!

[Warbird]

I was going to say Dorf Fort, but someone seems to have beaten me to it. In that case I'm gonna have to recommend Kerbal Space Program. It's Spore meets Lego, meets Space, meets lots and lots of fire and explosions. The demo's free, but the real deal's worth every penny.

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/

[Justin]

You're right about DF. It's simply incredible. I'm just wary about suggesting it to people cause its CLEARLY not for everyone. I'll have to check out cataclysm when I have a ton of free time. Probably has a high barrier to entry, no?